Just something I wrote based on a dream, if people like it I will continue, if not…meh.

I don't own Gears of War

Chapter 1

Baird hunched over a little more in reflex to the rain. It was dangerous enough to be out on the streets at night but being out in the rain at night was asking for trouble. It doesn't matter; Baird thought irritably, he had practically fought off the entire locus horde in his time. A couple of overconfident stranded would be nothing. HHH He almost wished they would try something. They probably would have but for the rain, most of them were more obliged to spend rainy nights drinking then standing around in the cold waiting for someone to mug. Only the truly crazy ones were willing to risk their health on such a night and those, Baird supposed, were the ones he should have been looking out for.

As he walked, Baird reflected on the events that had brought him to his current situation. The war had ended. Delta squad, as usual, had brought it about. Then began the rebuilding, first on Vectes then slowly they had migrated back to the main land. Baird had helped with the mechanical branch of the rebuilding during his time in the COG but had received an honorable discharge after the incident with some local stranded. Hey, he didn't start it but he finished it, and apparently Prescott had deemed that grounds for discharge for some stupid reason. So he bid the rest of delta adieu and had headed out to the main land to help rebuild the first real city since the war had ended. His less than affectionate feelings for the cog quickly faded as he found himself the owner of his very own company.

He had stared out fixing farming equipment in exchange for fresh food. Then a kid who was not quite as talented as him had asked to get in on Baird's newly formed business. Although he preferred to work alone Baird found that if he got more done, he got paid more. So he 'hired' the kid and split whatever they got 50/50. Word got around and anyone with any kind of mechanical ability was begging to join Baird. Pretty soon he had his very own legion of flying monkeys that he was training to be mechanics. Besides having fresh food some of the other benefits of working under Baird were protection and security. All the farmers trusted Baird, despite his temper he got the job done and didn't cause trouble. Therefore anyone working for him was trustworthy until proved otherwise. The farmers protected anyone who worked for Baird, and that was a good thing because the farmers were easily the most well armed men and women short of gears themselves. As for security, as long as the flying monkeys did what they were told and didn't cause any trouble they were assured employment by Baird who frankly didn't care enough to fire them. They all did the work, they all got paid, simple as that.

Baird didn't know much about his employees, he certainly didn't know where they lived, but he knew where the fist kid, June, lived, in Baird's house. The kid had been homeless so Baird offered to let June live with him. Baird had a little house which he had refurbished himself for the most part and then had fortified it with various explosive traps, just on general principle. What Baird hadn't known when he agreed to let June live with him was that June had two younger siblings a ten year old boy named Jacob and an eight year old girl named Kaylee. Baird didn't have much experience with kids and he had heard both good and bad things about them, but he found that he liked these kids. They were helpful, kept the house clean, they fed themselves, and they didn't fight, ever. Baird supped that was a trait picked up from having to survive the last years of the war.

Baird smiled as he thought about his new adopted family, but movement ahead of him brought him out of his musing. Instinctively he pressed up against the wall and crept forward. Out of an ally a pale figure sprang and fell flat on the concrete. It was a woman, he realized, it had to be. She was dragged back into the ally, a muffled cry escaping her. Baird moved silently forward. He peeked around the corner to assess the situation. The woman, he found was pinned on the ground by a large man, and to his horror he realized she was completely naked. Without another thought Baird bounded into the ally and pulled the man off her and threw him against the wall. The man recovered quickly and jumped up into a fighting stance. So Baird kicked him in he exposed tender area. The man crumpled but with a display of incredible resilience rolled over to the mouth of the ally and stood up.

"She's mine you freak. Bought and paid for!" the man cried in a high pitched voice. Baird growled menacingly and started at the man fully intending to punch his head off. To his credit the man sprinted off. Baird could have and would have caught the man and beat him to death but he couldn't leave the woman. He turned back to the ally and found the woman pressed up against a wall with her knees pulled up against her chest. Baird knelt next to her not sure exactly what to do. She was sobbing, though completely silent her body shook with sobs.

"Hey," Baird said softly, her head snapped up her eyes wide with fear. She began to tremble violently as she looked at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He assured her but she wasn't convinced. Baird sighed, she was seriously traumatized and there was nothing he could say that would help her. So he pulled off his heavy coat and wrapped her in it, she made no attempt to resist. Baird then scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way to his house.

The door was locked, as usual, and he had no way to reach them with the girl in his arms. He opted to knock on the door with his foot.

"It's me, open up!" he called after a few seconds the lock clicked and a little girl peered out at him from the door way.

"Birdy!" Kaylee said excitedly, standing aside to let him in. "What took you so long? Who is that?"

"I don't know who she is, do me a favor and get me a couple of towels." He instructed. The little girl ran off as Jacob and June, who was almost sixteen, came into the living room from the kitchen.

"Baird, what's going on?" June asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute," Baird replied irritably carrying the girl into his room.

Kaylee came in after him and he instructed her to place the towels on the bed and then told her to get out. He wanted to give the girl as much privacy as he could. At some point she had either fallen asleep or more likely passed out from fear. Baird carefully placed her on the towels and then used another one to dry her off as best as he could. When he was finished he pulled the blankets over her and carefully took of his heavy wet jacket. He then pulled the wet towels out from under her and left the girl to sleep in peace.

After dumping the towels and his jacket in the shower to dry he trudged into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Kaylee climbed into his lap her usually happy face twisted with concern. The two boys sat on the floor playing cards.

"who is she Birdy?" A smile tugged at Baird's mouth, if anyone else had called him birdy he would have punched them.

"I don't know" He said tiredly.

"did you save her life?"

"yeah, I guess I did" he decided, he didn't know if the man had actually intended to kill her.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"I don't know."

"What happed?" June asked. Baird gave him a 'tell you later' look.

"June, think you could lend her some clothes?" Baird asked. June nodded, he was defiantly taller than the girl but not as tall as Baird.

"Alright then, its late, go to bed." He ordered. The boys muttered good night. Kaylee kissed him good night, making Baird blink in surprise, and followed her brothers into their room. Baird groaned and fell back onto the couch. Reaching up he flipped off the light switch. It had been a long day and finding the girl had really topped it off. He quickly fell into a deep peaceful sleep.